1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with a scanner with inputting foolproof function and also a method of providing the scanner with hardware-cancellation function, hardware-non-cancellation function, and status-showing function.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are three common approaches to operate the scanner:
First, there is no inputting unit, such as push button or switch, on the scanner, which is controlled only through the computer by the user; Second, the scanner has several inputting units itself and the user can control the scanner through activating these inputting units; Third, controlling the scanner with an approach mixing the two approaches mentioned above. In recent years, with the current of the increasing emphasis on the user's convenience of the consumption electronic products, the second approach of which said above is applied more and more widely.
For example, to install or set up several inputting unit push button in scanner, such as [scanning], [scanning and sending as an e-mail], [scanning and saving as a file], [scanning and sending as a FAX] and [scanning and then printing] etc., to provide higher operating convenience for the user. However, the second approach of above-mentioned usually has following drawbacks in practical application:
Firstly: It is not easy for the user to determine the status of each inputting unit. Since the scanner is more and more miniaturized, equipped with push buttons rather than switches, usually there is not any obvious change of the geometric profile (location) provided for the user to identify the different statuses of the inputting unit.
Secondly: The user cannot interrupt the action in process of the scanner directly through the scanner, in other words, there is no Hardware Cancellation function. It is not like controlling the scanner with the computer, in which the user can interrupt the action in process of the scanner by interrupting the applied program at any time; if the scanner is controlled directly through each inputting unit, the flexibility of using the scanner is worse, i.e. any specific action need to run out completely as soon as it is activated and it cannot be interrupted even if the user has such need. (For example, the user finds out that there is a location shift of the document and needs to make some modification after the scanning starts.)
Thirdly: The hazard of accidentally activating the individual inputting unit can not be effectively eliminated. Since each inputting unit is located directly on the surface of the scanner, it is hard to avoid activating by accidentally touching. If at this time the scanner is also in process of executing a specific action, the normal operation of the scanner will be obviously interfered since the activated inputting unit will induce another specific action.
Thereupon, it is necessary to improve the current approach of controlling the scanner directly through the inputting units on it, to add a foolproof function to the scanner, and to provide the user with the convenience of operating the scanner just like that of operating the convenient camera.